Practical Environmentalism

“We believe we should return the Earth in better condition than we found it.”

- Clif McKenzie, Watson CEO

Environmental ethics permeate all facets of our business, from our own facilities, processes and practices to the products we deliver. Watson components are manufactured using recycled and recyclable materials and can help customers meet environmental standards in their own buildings.

An additional element of sustainable product design stems from the inherent durability and flexibility of our furniture. We build adjustable furniture that lasts, which prolongs its life cycle, facilitates re-use, and conserves the resources required to replace it.

Sustainable Materials

Watson is committed to “doing good” rather than simply “feeling good.” At the core of this philosophy, is finding practical and economical solutions to sourcing recycled materials and manufacturing sustainable products.

Metal Processing - Our no discharge steam cleaning process uses water that is reclaimed, filtered and reused. Standard metal components are finished using an electrostatic powdercoat baking process that emits no VOCs.

Reusable Packaging - Products are protected during shipping with reusable blanket wrapping. Where further protection is required, 100% recyclable honeycomb cardboard is used instead of foam.

Sawdust Reclamation - Every year 350,000 lbs of Watson sawdust is diverted from landfills and compressed into briquettes for fuel at a local paper mill.

Reclaimed Powder - We use Reclaimed Powder on the interior of all drawer bodies and some customers choose to specify it on all steel components. The unique color is created by combining multiple colors of over-sprayed powder that is generated in the powdercoating process and usually thrown into the landfill. The color of each batch varies slightly according to the mix of powders we use.

Regional Sourcing

Projects within 500 miles of our factory qualify for LEED credit. Developers, nationwide, can be assured that project design steers away from using RED or YELLOW materials. We also employ design for disassembly – a process intended to maximize economic value and minimize environmental impact through reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling.